Milton Hospital opens up an ER alternative

'Clinical decision unit' will give doctors more time for diagnosis, free up ER space and reduce costs

Lane Lambert The Patriot Ledger @llambert_ledger

MILTON – Like other hospitals, Beth Israel Deaconess-Milton gets its share of emergency-room patients whose symptoms need observation before doctors can decide how they need to be treated.

In most hospitals, that can mean hours of waiting in a crowded emergency room. But Milton Hospital patients now have a quiet space to stay while they wait to learn if they have to be admitted.

The hospital has opened a 15-bed “clinical decision unit” in a refurbished wing. Patients can stay there up to 24 hours or longer, if more extensive testing is needed before a diagnosis can be made.

“An emergency department can be a hectic place,” spokesman Robert McChrystal said. “This unit will be quieter, with a patient-centered environment.”

A “clinical decision unit” stay is covered by health insurance policies but not by Medicare or if an elderly patient is discharged to a rehabilitation facility. McChrystal said those patient visits are handled through different policies and payments

Registered nurse Lynn Cronin, Milton Hospital’s vice president of nursing, said medical care in the new unit includes physicians, physician assistants, nurses and other support staff. ER-style treatment will also be available, from respiratory procedures, wound care, physical therapy and IV medications, as well as CT scans and blood work.

Beth Israel Deaconess already operates a clinical decision unit in Boston, but McChrystal said Milton Hospital’s wasn’t opened simply as an extension of the Beth Israel’s.

Beth Israel’s observation medicine website says the unit is intended to help reduce delays in patient care, as well as reduce costs.

“Economic pressures for efficiency in health care have led to the need for new strategies for the care of patients with acute chest pain and similar difficult to rapidly diagnose ED (emergency department) presentations,” the website says.

Lane Lambert may be reached at llambert@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @LLambert_Ledger.

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